Movies based on true stories seldom give us a taste of the characters life, they present the story in a style that shows one version. Most of the time we buy into that, but in "American Violet" we see the story unfold and play out, and then we see the struggle the characters go through. Very seldom do we get this type of story and feel the emotions coming from the character, American Violet gives us the story with emotion and heart.
Dee Roberts (Nicole Beharie) works in a small diner, she has been there seven years, the owner is a white woman who thinks the world of Dee. District Attorney Calvin Beckett (Michael O' Keefe) wants results for his drug task force. Alma Roberts (Alfre Woodard) lives in the same housing project that Dee does, and watches Dee's three children. Also in the same project is the father of two of Dee's little girls, Darrell Hughes (Xzibit). Dee doesn't want the girls around Darrell because he lives with a woman accused of child molestation. Beckett has the drug task force raid the projects one morning, they drive up in U Haul trucks and make several arrests. Then they go into the diner where Dee is at work and arrest her. She thinks it's because of unpaid parking tickets, the owner offers to pay the tickets for Dee. When Dee is taken before the court she is given a public defender, David Higgins (Paul David Story), we all know the case loads of public defenders are astronomical, but this guy seems to be in the dark. Dee is wrongfully arrested for drug trafficking near a school. When she meets with the public defender and the states attorney they offer her a bargain, plead guilty and get a ten year suspended sentence.
Dee feels this is something she can't do. Alma goes around to the town's people and asks them to sign a petition to lower Dee's bail, Reverend Sanders (Charles S Dutton) brings in an ACLU lawyer, David Cohen (Tim Blake Nelson) and his aide Byron White (Malcolm Barrett). Their first order of business is to get the former assistant DA Sam Conroy (Will Patton) to help sue not only the drug task force but the police AND the District Attorney, Calvin Beckett. They tell Dee that pleading guilty will result in her being thrown out of her home and maybe losing her children. Dee decides to not take a plea bargain in her case and instead to go ahead and sue the police involved in the raid.
The legal focus of the film does tend to bounce around from one issue to another, the problems of forced plea bargaining, the misuse of Federal drug task forces, the use of dishonest informants, the problem of fighting a war on drugs, and than finally focusing on the blatant racism of District Attorney Beckett. All of these issues are certainly present in the criminal justice system, but the relationship and role of each is often confusingly presented and blurs the legal focus of the film. Nevertheless, the story remains true, and their presentation is a potent and powerful one. Alma feels going up against such strong men will backfire for Dee, but having no options at the time she is forced into the suit. Trying to find work Dee goes from place to place, with the arrest on her record, Dee has little choice in job prospects. Finding a job in a Mexican diner Dee thinks things are looking up. One day she returns to find that Darrell has his daughters. Dee freaking out pounds on the door and is taunted by Darrell's girlfriend, Dee running down the stairs starts kicking Darrell's truck, he calls the police and Dee is again arrested, although the ACLU is able to get this charge dropped, it looks bad for Dee. Darrell feels that he deserves to have custody of his daughters and sues Dee for that right. Of course DA Beckett is the judge in family court. In a change of pace Beckett allows Dee to keep her children, while this is going on Sam, Byron and David are holding depositions in Dee's case. They question the lone informant the police used to gather names, they question the police, and even Beckett himself.
Throwing a surprise at Beckett, we knew one was coming, Dee's lawyers get her case before a judge that doesn't owe Beckett any favors. Dee wins her case, the drug task force is broken up but Beckett escapes "justice." Beckett runs for reelection and wins, he of course is keeping the town safe after all.
I give American Violet a 3 and on my avoidance scale a 0, this movie should be seen, it isn't overly racist, but some of the tones of the movie are. Still I would encourage ever one to see this movie. Go out and enjoy this movie, take your family they may walk away enlightened.
American Violet is rated PG-13 for Thematic Material, Violence, Drug References and Language
Running time is 1 hr. 43 mins.
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